Josh Ashman

Thanks Ron! Actually, neither. I use batting from the sewing section of Walmart. I bought a bag a few years ago to try and works really well for me. all the best, Josh

Mulehide bucking rolls that just got finished up. The leather is brown Chahin skirting, same as the saddle these were built for and the D's are JWP. Thanks for looking and have a good weekend folks!

I never said you "tricked" anyone, I said your question was answered very clearly numerous times and that you have silly posts that maybe the rest of us should stop participating in. In regards to the numerous answers given for why people have lists, re-read BHP's post if you like. It's direct answers with reasons given to quotes of your posts. Really couldn't be more clear. In regards to your posts being silly, that's obviously just my opinion and it only applies to the posts you make where it seems you're trying to pick a fight with anyone that doesn't agree with you. As for not getting drawn into these types of posts from you, that's something I should try to do. All the best, Josh

Seems to me that very clear answers have been given numerous times. Maybe the rest of need to learn not to get drawn in to your silly posts.

Looks really nice! The gullet and cantle back tooling are great!

Looks really nice to me Ron! FYI, I broke an awl blade sewing the binder on my 3rd saddle as well. I have no idea if it happens to others or not. All the best, Josh

hahaha, I always think the same when someone orders black! Take care!

I think your price was fair. I recently built the hatchet case below, and like you I really wondered what I should charge for it. My situation was a little different, in that the guy ordering it was getting it for his 8 year old sons birthday. I don't know them all that well, it's a friend of a friend deal, however I did spend a little time around the dad and his kid and both are very likable. The guy has a great job and no shortage of money but all the same, when he asked what he owed I told him to pick me up a 12 pack of beer next time he came by and we'd be even. He brought me a case of beer and a $20 bill and we were both happy with the transaction. I struggle to find a decent price for small "one off" items so if possible I try to think of a trade, if it's an order I want to take. If I don't want to take the order I've learned to explain it away similar to Big Sioux's example above. Nice job on the case!

Thanks Billy!

Mike, Holster maker trivia and history aren't worth much. but for what it is worth... To the best of my knowledge the "Avenger" type holster was first made by Bruce Nelson. He called it the "professional" and it was defined by the tunnel belt loop on the back with a trailing slot. They had zero cant and they didn't have the reinforcement around the front. Milt Sparks started making these for Bruce as their model 55 BN. Bianchi later came out with the "Askins Avenger" which had some cant and the reinforcement around the front. If you go to the 1911 forum and do a search of Bruce Nelson, 55BN, Professional, etc. you'll see tons of info about this style of holster. You'll also see guys that swear they are the best thing ever and that they work for full size 1911's all day long. A lot of how a design will work has to do with the leather you're using. Solid, firm back leather from a well tanned hide will form and hold it's shape well for quite some time. Build a holster with the exact same pattern and the exact same process from soft stretchy belly leather and it won't last at all. I'd suggest you get some good leather, either W&C or HO from the back or butt and give it a try. You can use somebody else's pattern or make your own. Build one and see how it works then you adjust what you don't like on the next one you build. A million internet opinions from other people won't teach you as much as you'll learn by doing it yourself a few times. That's all just my humble opinion, of course. Good luck with your holster! Josh

Thanks again Ron! I've been wondering about trying the scalloped and nailed back. Maybe when I get around to the next one I'll give it a try. All the best, Josh

Thanks Randy! I like seeing what others are up to as well. Gives a person ideas and inspiration. Well, some peoples stuff gives ideas and inspiration, my cantle binding could give a person nightmares! I've deliberately not shown more than a profile pic to protect those with sensitive stomachs

Thanks Biker! Thank you too Ron! I used Chahin for saddle #'s 1, 2 and now #4 and HO for #3. The Chahin I bought for saddles 1 and 2 was really good as far as I remember, it's been several years. The stuff I just got for this saddle was OK but the sides were a little small and pretty hacked up with butcher cuts. It did cut, form, edge and oil up just fine and seems basically OK. My personal saddle (#2) is the Chahin and has held up fine. My wife's saddle (#3) is the HO and has stayed much firmer than mine but it's also 14/16 where mine was 13/15, although I'm not sure that would make any difference. This one is sold already, it went to a neighbor that for some reason got it in his head he should have a saddle I built. I was very up front with him about my limitations, but he wanted one all the same. Thanks again guys!

Just finished up saddle #4. With a few years between each one I think it's safe to say I'm not getting any better or quicker at building them. My cantle binding stitching is embarrassing and I shorted the front jockeys when I fit the seat but after much deliberation I let both fly. First time with all smooth out, which made it a little more of a chore not to mark things up. Built with Chahin leather from Weaver and mostly JWP hardware. Tree is a Bowden. All on all I'm happy with it but well aware of the flaws. I did get the skirts blocked better and the rear jockeys fit down OK. Which is an improvement from #3. So there's some good news. Thanks for looking and have a good day folks!

I've stopped taking any orders for a while so I can get caught up. When I start up again I don't plan on making holsters for anything that I don't already own or have a mold for. I actually like the idea of limiting it to only 1911's and SAA's, but since I have a bunch of molds it makes sense to build for them too.I might think differently if I did this for a living, then again I might not. Different business models make sense to different people. If you want to make a holster for anyone who wants one, great! If you want to build a select few holsters for people who want them, great!

Jim, I was just being a smart ass. The picture you took was hard to see exactly what was going on, but I had gathered the general intent. Not sure why you'd be concerned with weight on leather when you're packing a double stack 45, but as you mentioned earlier, we all value different things. Good for you for making a unique design that you like and that has worked well for you. It'd be easy for me to give a critique on your actual leather working skills based on what I could make out in the pictures, but I don't see a reason to. You like what you built, so that's awesome. With a little practice you can hand sew a holster in about 30 minutes. It takes 2 needles, an awl and some thread. If you suck at hand sewing you can still do it in under an hour. I don't have a vacuum pump. Have a good evening folks, Josh

This whole thread is so damn dumb I can't believe I'm still sucked in. But here I am... JLS, I bolded and underlined "might". Nobody is "justifying" a thing by noting that 50/50 type holsters work well for a lot of people. That's pretty obvious to anyone with a brain. Your free patterns and advice are appreciated by a bunch of starting out leather workers and I applaud you for your efforts to be helpful. I also recognize that you a fine leather worker and make quality gear. That said, much like Sam, you haven't invented any of this and in my opinion you're wrong every now and then. I don't use falling down laughing emoticons to point out where I think you're wrong as that seems like a real jerk thing to do. ChiefJason, I'm happy that you're doing so well with the flat backed holsters. Some of us are just as happy and proud of our holsters that aren't flat backed. Jim Timber, what the hell does a hem do on a holster?

Del Fatti, Alessi, Sparks? Clearly all makers of crappy holsters looking to cut corners.

Semper Fi!

Here it is new on Oct 24th 2013, and here it is as of last night, and upside down, I'm plenty happy with my results. All the best, Josh

Jim, I don't have any pictures of 6 year old pancake holsters being held upside down. As I noted earlier, after several years of use I have about retired a 50/50 pancake I made myself. I think it had about 3 years of use when it went out of daily rotation. Last I checked it would still hold a loaded 1911 upside down, but just barely. I may check again when I get home out of curiosity. Having a holster hold a pistol upside down isn't the "end all be all" of whether or not it's functional, at least it isn't for me. I would say that function is king, however, form also comes into play in my opinion. All of the problems that have been stated about 50/50 pancake holsters haven't been an issue for me in holsters I've made for personal use or ones I've built to sell. I'm a hobby maker although I've been at it for many years, so I've built more than a few of these types of holsters. Most of them are owned by people I know personally, family and friends. So far no complaints. Speaking personally, if it were about making a quick buck I'd skimp on my edges. That would save me a bunch more time than building them flat backed, or flatter backed. As you noted, not everybody will agree or like what someone else does and they certainly don't need too. All the best, Josh

Hey Jim, good to know that my holsters are "crappy", easy to make, and that they don't work well. Let's see some of your work pard. I'm curious to see what a nice, functional holster looks like. JLS, as I noted earlier, technically I agree with most if not all of what you've said. However, I don't have any of the problems you have noted that will be caused by 50/50 pancakes in the holsters I've made and sold. Of course, since Jim was helpful enough to point out that they are all crappy and don't work well maybe I just don't know the difference.

Carguy, in my opinion, yes. I respect that others may have different answers. Based on my experience in building that exact type of holster and not having any trouble with binding, especially binding that got worse as the holster became more broken in. However, the best way for you to know for sure what you think about it is to build yourself a holster and see how it works for you. Josh

Technically I agree with most all of this. At the same time, based on my personal experience and in my opinion the "real world effect" is a whole lot of nothing. Yes, a pancake holster made completely even will pinch the sight when the "wings" are folded in. If you flex some curve into the wings when you mold the holster I think you mitigate it to some extent. Leather also stretches and compresses to an amazing degree. It will do so while you build with it and it will do so long after you're done making whatever it is you're making. I build my pancake holsters even and put some curve into them when I form them. When they are new they are tight, if they are on the belt on a narrow person they will be even tighter. Depending where they were cut from, the characteristics of the leather and how much coffee I had before I sewed the holster up I can generally shake the holster upside down with a loaded gun (not one in the chamber, no safety lectures please). After a few years of every day use they are much looser and need to come out of daily rotation The pictures below show a curved pancake evenly molded and formed in a slight curve. The 2nd pic is the same holster being moved upside down holding the real gun. And the 3rd pic is me with what used to be my EDC pistol and holster I built for it. It was tight when new and it loosened up over several years to the point that I no longer use it that much because it's a little loose. My 2 cents, which is worth exactly what it cost, is if you have any doubts about a holster pattern you want to try, build yourself one and wear it for a while then you'll know how that design will work. All these discussions about how molded leather will behave down to the 1/16 and 1/32 don't take into account the very nature of what leather is. As an example take a 6" length of 1" wide strap cut from 8 oz. leather and a bowl of warm water. Dunk the leather in the water for a minute and you can turn that 6" length into a 6-1/2" length without any trouble. You can also turn it into a 5-1/2" length. You can also turn a straight cut strap into a curved strap. Work it a little and dunk some more and you can turn a slight curve into a semi circle, or even a full circle. Have a great day folks!

Good points JLS! I can usually find a use for my bellies but I dang sure wouldn't want any extras! They make OK liners if you don't expect much out of them. I'm close enough to SLC that I usually just go pick my leather out in person so the shipping doesn't affect me and I'm small time enough that I only get a side or two at a time. Circumstances and type of operation would dang sure have an impact on what makes the most sense for a person. All the best!